Electric clock.



R. JAEGERMANN.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLIOATIOKIILED P3314, 1910. I Patented May 31, 1910.

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R. JAEGERMANN.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED F3314, 1910. 959,864.

Patented May 31', 1910.

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R. JAEGERMANN. ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB .14,- 1910.

959,864. Patented May 31, 1910.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

1 62. ELK 040;? Malaya/mam UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH JAEGERMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

" o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH JAEGERMANN, citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a.full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in electricclocks; and itconsists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth inthe specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the clock mechanism withpendulum at one end of its swing (the pendulum ball being shown dotted)and with escapement lever and electro-magnetic armature in properrelations thereto; Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, with pendulum ballhowever, shown full; Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 (with partsomitted) showing the pendulum at the opposite end of its swing, and withescapement lever and armature conforming thereto; Fig. 4 is a top planof Fig. 3 with pendulum removed; Fig. 5 is a detached elevational viewof the escapement lever in one of its extreme positions showing themanner of tripping and engaging the pendants carried thereby, by thetappet of the pendulum; Fig. 6 is a detached front elevational veiw ofthe oscillating armature and its extension and wiper carried thereby;Fig. 7 is an inner face view of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectionaldetail on line 88 of Fig. 6 showing the manner of attaching theconducting wire in circuit with the energizing coil of the armature;Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the contact member showing diagrammaticallyhow the wiper coupled to the armature alternately rubs against theconducting and insulated faces of said member with the reciprocations oroscillations of the armature; Fig. 10 is a detail of the drop-pawl andratchet connected to the escapement shaft; and Fig. 11 is an edge viewof Fig. 10.

The present invention has special application to pendulum clocks and hasfor its Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Application filed February 14, 1910. Serial No. 543,744.

object to provide means for imparting to the pendulum the necessaryimpulses by which it may be maintained in constant motion, such impulsesbeing preferably delivered with each forward swing of the pendulum, thelatter swinging backward under the action of gravity alone. Theimpelling mechanism herein is in the form of an electro-magneticallyoperated armature of the oscillating type, the armature in its partialapproach toward the energizing coil closing the electric circuit bywhich the coil is energized and under the influence of which thearmature is impelled against the pendulum thereby driving the samebefore it, after which the circuit is broken, leaving the armature freeto be returned to its original position under the momentum of thependulum in its return swing.

A further object is to utilize the swinging pendulum for the purpose ofactuating the pallet or escapement lever by which the clock mechanism isadvanced, in lieu of the prevailing method of utilizing the escape mentto swing the pendulum.

No attempt is made herein to extend the invention to include means formaintaining the time-piece in unison with a standard chronometer, as anyof the prevailing electric and mechanical methods of rectifying errorsat stated intervals may be resorted to for purposes of equalizing thetimes of all the clocks in a given circuit. The present invention istherefore, restricted to the means for imparting motion to the pendulumand the manner of communicating that motion to the clock mechanismthrough the escapement which the pendulum directly actuates.

The advantages of the invention will be fully apparent from a detaileddescription thereof, which is as follows Referring to the drawings C,represents a conventional clock including frame and its works, thedetails of which need not here be entered into as they form no part ofthe present invention. Suspended from a point above the clock is apendulum rod P (shown broken herein) provided with the usualpendulum-ball B the position of which is accurately adjusted on the rodby an adj usting nut n as well understood in the art. For purposes ofthe present invention, the rear wall of the ball is provided with anelongated slot or socket a for the free pas sage therethrough of arearwardly projecting tappet arm or pin 1 carried directly by the rod P.The slot a is thus necessary to allow for the proper adjustment of theball B along the rod P. Projecting laterally from the bottom of thependulum (and below the ball B) is an impact arm 2 disposed in thegeneral plane of oscillation of the pendulum and at right angles to therod P. Mounted at one end of a rocker-shaft 3 are the pallets 4, 4,directly engaging the scape-wheel 5 on the shaft 6, the latter havingmounted thereon the ratchet wheel 7 controlled by a drop-pawl 8 as wellunderstood in the art. Projecting upward from the rear end of therocker-shaft 3 is a leverarm 9 which for convenience will be hereinreferred to as the escapement lever (being that by its oscillations itdirectly rocks the shaft 3 and actuates the pallets 4, 4, which in turnrelease the scape-wheel 5). The escapement lever terminates at its freeend in the fork members or arms 10, 10 spaced a suitable distance apart,the respective arms having projecting from their front faces at theouter upper corners of the arms, the arresting pins 11, 11, for apurpose presently to appear. Loosely pivoted about a stud or pin 7) onthe front face of each arm 10, is a pendent lever or member 12, thecenter of gravity of the lever being below the axis of suspensionthereof so that it shall always tend to assume a truly vertical position(Figs. 1, 3, 5). To bring the center of gravity below the point ofsuspension, the lower arms of the said pendants are preferably made thelonger, though the same result could be accomplished by weighting themdown in any equivalent manner. It may be stated in passing that theupper arms of the pendants 12, 12 (those projecting above the forks 10,10) are directly in the path of oscillation or vibration of the tappet 1projecting from the pendulum, and as the latter vibrates these pendantsare struck by the tappet and the escapement lever oscillated, in turnrocking the shaft 3, pallets 4, 4, and advancing the scape-wheel 5. Tosteady the lever 9 in its oscillations I attach to the base thereof oneend of a resilient spring wire 13 bent substantially as shown in Fig. 4,the outer end of the wire being fastened to the clock-frame.

It may be convenient at this point to describe the manner in which thevibrating pendulum actuates the escapement lever 9 (and hence thescape-wheel 5 through the rocking of the shaft 3 and oscillation of thepallets 4, 4, carried thereby). Let us assume (Figs. 1, 5) that theescapement lever 9 occupies its extreme right hand position, the

pendulum having also swung to the right hand end of its vibration. Asalready stated the pendent levers 12 will hang vertical. Now, as thependulum swings to the left, the tappet 1 will trip the right handpendant 12 (see dotted position Fig. slip off the same and then impingeagainst the left hand pendant; but as the same is tripped it encountersthe arresting pin 11 and can move no farther, so that it follows thatthe driving pendulum will simply oscillate the en tire escapement lever9 about the axis of the shaft 3, and by the time the lever has reachedthe limit of its oscillation in the opposite direction the tappet 1 willhave passed oil the partially tripped pendant 12, leaving the escapementin the position shown in full in Fig. 3, or dotted in Fig. 1. Thependants 12 being weighted below their respective axes of suspensionwill of course, instantly right themselves the moment they have beenreleased from the influence of the tappet 1. It follows therefore, thatwhen the pendulum swings back from left to right (Fig. 3) the tappet 1will first trip and slip off the left hand pendant 12, then drive theright hand pendant against its pin 11 after which the weight of thevibrating pendulum will oscillate the lever S) bodily to the right or tothe place of beginning, the same operations being repeated with eachpendulum vibration; and as the escapement lever 9 is oscillated thepallets 4 will release the scape wheel 5 one tooth at a time as is quiteobvious from the drawings.

The pendulum in the present invention actuates the escapement as alreadystated, so that some provision must be made to impart the necessaryvibrations to the pendulum. This is accomplished by giving the pendu luman impulse in one direction through the means of an oscillatingelectro-magnetic armature, the vibration of the pendulum in the oppositedirection being accomplished by gravity alone. The mechanism for drivingthe pendulum may be described as follows Mounted on the side of theclock-frame on a medially disposed transverse rock-shaft 14 is a bentlever 15 against the top of whose short arm bears the free end of aslightly flexed spring or arm 16, the fixed end of which is secured tothe clock-frame in any mechanical manner. The tendency of the spring 16is to drive the short lever arm downward, that is to say to oscillatethe i long arm of the lever 15 against or toward the clock-frame. To thelong arm of the lever 15 is secured an armature 17 which, undercircumstances to be presently described, is attracted toward theenergized eleetromagnetic coil E carried by the clockframe. Beyond thearmature the lever 15 is provided with an extension 15 to the outer faceof which is secured by means of rivets 7, an insulating block 18 fromwhich projects laterally a conductin arm 19, the part within the blockservlng to afford contact for the exposed end of the conducting wire toin circuit with the coil, the same set screw 8 securing both wire to andarm 19 within the block 18 (Fig. 8). From the arm 19 depends a springwiper-arm 20, the free end being provided with a wiper 21 which, with anoscillation of the armature 17 toward the coil, rubs over the outerconducting face of a contact member 22, and over the insulated face ofsaid contact member with an oscillation of the armature away from thecoil, as presently more fully ex lained. The contact member 22 is in theform of an anglepiece the vertical leg thereof serving as the contactmember proper, the rear face of said leg being provided with aninsulated layer 22 as shown (Fig. 9). To the horizontal leg is secured adepending stem 23 which is inserted through and frictionally held in aterminal loop or socket of a bracket arm 24 secured to the clock-frameby a screw 0 as shown, the arm being provided with an elongated slot dby which the position of the arm, and hence that of the contact member22 may be accurately adjusted relatively to the wiper 21. Of course, thecontact member might be secured to the arm 24. in any mechanical manner,that here shown being but a single example. Secured at the outer end ofa screw-stem 25 passed through one of the cross tie-members t of theclock-frame is a rubber buffer 26 against which the lever extension 15may impinge in the sudden attraction of the armature 17 toward the coilE with the closing of the circuit. The wire ends to, to (Figs. 1, 2)lead to, or may be coupled up to any ordinary incandescentlight socketor equivalent fixture (not shown) one of the wires leading to a bindingpost 27 which is insulated from the metallic clock-frame (Fig. 2). Fromthis the wire continues through the coils E coupling up to a bindingpost 28, the current traversing the clock-frame, following the arm 2 1,thence the contact member 22, wiper 21, and wiper arm 20 (when the wiperis rubbing against the conducting face of the contact member) thence arm19 and return wire to (Fig. 8) leading therefrom and back to the socketor source of electric energy, as shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.Of course, in these figures the wiper 21 is out of contact with thecontact member 22, but Fig. 1 shows these parts in actual contact indotted position, so there is no difficulty in tracing the current.

From the foregoing, the manner of imparting the necessary impulses tothe pendulum may now be described, and particular reference will be madeto Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 9. It was stated above that the spring 16 (or itsequivalent) tends to tilt or oscillate the armature-supporting lever 15toward and against the clock-frame (Fig. 1) and this would be theposition in which it would remain were it not dislodged by the pendulum.The lever extension 15 is disposed in the plane of vibration of thependulum and the impact arm 2 and is extended high enough to come incontact with said arm 2. When the pendulum has swung to the right, itvibrates to the left under the action of gravity, and when at the end ofits right-hand swing, the armature-lever 15, 15 is well up against thebuffer 26, the wiper being to the right of the contact member (Figs. 1,9) and opposite the insulated face 22, it being remembered that theplane of oscillation of the wiper arm 20 if left unobstructed is acrossthe center of the inclined or angularly disposed vertical leg of thecontact member 22 (Fig. 9). As the pendulum therefore, swings from rightto left the arm 2 thereof strikes the extension 15 of the armaturelever15 forcing it to oscillate to the left (against the tension of thespring 16) the arm 2 following up the lever 15 to the full end of thependulums vibration in that direction. As the lever 15, 15 oscillates tothe left the wiper 21 at the end of the yielding spring arm 20 followsalong the rear inclined or angularly disposed insulated face 22 of thecontact member, thereby leaving the circuit broken for this particularoscillation (see left-hand arrows Fig. 9). hen now the pendulum beginsits right-hand vibration, the lever 15 under the action of the spring 16keeps following up the pendulum (dotted position Fig. 3) but in thusfollowing it, the wiper 21 (which had previously passed off the surface22 and by the resilience of the sprin 20 was again restored to itsposition in the general plane of oscillation of the said spring 20) willnow rub up along the conducting face of the contact member 22 (seeright-hand arrow Fig. 9) and thus close the circuit. The moment thecircuit is closed however, the energizing action of the coils E willexert a powerful draft on the armature 17 and (with the co operation ofthe spring 16) will suddenly attract the armature thereby imparting aquick inward oscillation to the lever 15, 15 which, by its contact withthe arm 2, will impart a corresponding impulse or shove to the pendulumthus driving it back to its right-hand position. Of course, in thesudden attraction of the armature 17 by the coil E the wiper 21 willpass off the contact member 22 and to the right of the latter and backto its original position opposite the face 22 (Fig. 9). The pendulum nowbeing at the end of its right-hand vibration again swings back under theaction of gravity to its left-hand position to again repeat theoperation already described. It thus follows that the pendulum is drivenin one direction under a positive impulse which it receives from areciprocating (and preferably oscillating) armature of anelectro-magnet, the circuit being closed in the first portion of thetravel of the armature toward the energizing coil, and again broken inthe last portion of the travel of such armature; that the pendulumvibrates in the opposite direction by gravity alone; and that with eachvibration the pendulum positively and mechanically actuates theescapement by which the clockmechanism .is controlled.

Features illustrated but not referred to are well known in the art andno description thereof is here attempted.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with areciprocating electro -magnetically actuated armature, a reciprocatingescapement, a swinging pendulum, and members projecting from thependulum in the respective paths of movement of the armature andescapement, whereby the pendulum is impelled in one direction by thearmature, and the escapement is actuated by the pendulum with thesuccessive vibrations thereof.

2. In an electric-clock, a swinging pendulum, an oscillatingelectro1nagnetically-actuated armature, an energizing coal therefor, awiper on said armature, a contact member having a conducting and aninsulated face over which the wiper plays with the respectiveoscillations of the armature, suitable electric connections between thecoil and wiper for closing the circuit during the passage of the wiperover the conducting surface of the contact member whereby the armatureis suddenly attracted toward the coil and an impulse therebycommunicated to the pendulum in one direction, means for breaking thecircuit after said impulse has been effected, the opposite swing of thepen dulum effecting a return of the armature to its original position inwhich return the wiper passes over the insulated face of the contactmember.

3. In an electric-clock, a swinging pendulum, an oscillatingspring-controlled electromagnetically-actuated armature, an energizingcoil therefor, a wiper in connection with said armature, a contactmember having a conducting and an insulated face over which the wiperplays with the respective oscillations of the armature, suitableelectric connections between the coil and wiper for closing the circuitduring the passage of the wiper over the conducting surface of thecontact member whereby the armature is suddenly attracted toward thecoil and the wiper passes off the contact member, the pendulum receivingan impulse by said armature in the movement thereof aforesaid, theopposite swing of the pendulum effecting a return of the armature to itsoriginal position, in which return the Wiper passes over the insulatedface of the contact member.

at. In an electric-clock, an oscillating armature, an energizing coiltherefor, a. yielding wiper arm in connection with said armature, acontact member having opposite con ducting and insulated facesrespectively disposed in planes at an angle to the path of movement ofthe wiper arm and at an angle to the plane of oscillation of thearmature, whereby with an oscillation of the armature in one direction,the wiper contacts along the conducting face of the contact member, andalong the insulated face thereof with an os cillation of the armature inthe opposite direction.

In an electric-clock, an energizing coil, an oscillating armatureactuated thereby in one direction, an extension on the armatureprojecting beyond. the energizing coil, a swinging pendulum, a memberprojecting from the pendului'n toward the armature extension andswinging in the path of oscillation of the extension whereby with anoscillation of the armature in one direction an impulse in acorresponding direction is communicated to the projecting member and tothe pendulum.

6. in combination with an oscillating electro-magnetically-actuatedarn'iature, an OS- cillating escapement lever, a swinging pendulum, andmembers projecting from the pendulum in the respective paths ofoscillation of the armature and escapement lever whereby the pendulum isimpelled in one direction by the armature, and the escapement lever isactuated by the pendulum with the successive vibrations thereof.

7. In combination with a mechanicallyimpellcd pendulum, an escapementlover, a tappet projecting from the pendulum across the path ofoscillation of the lever, members mounted on the escapement lever andyielding to the tappet for a portion of the are described by thependulum, and devices on the escapement for arresting the members foranother portion of the are of oscillation of the pendulum whereby theescapement lever is actuated by the pendulum in said last portion of thearc aforesaid.

S. In combination with a mechanically impelled pendulum, an escapementlever, a tap pet projecting from the pendulum across the path ofoscillation of the lever, pivotally suspended weighted pendent leversmounted on the escapement lever and adapted to be successively impingedby the tappet, each pendent lever first impinged by the itappet allowingthe tappet to pass uninterruptedly in its swing in one direction, andstops on the escapement for arresting the second pendent lever impingedby the tappet before the tappet has passed off the pendent lever,whereby the escapement lever is bodily oscillated with the pendulum fromthe point of arrest of the pendent lever to the end of the vibraandmeans for breaking the circuit subsetion of the pendulum in thedirection aforequent to the energizing action produced by said. saidcontact.

9. In an electric-clock an energizing coil, In testimony whereof I afiiXmy signature, 5 a contact member, a reciprocating armature in presenceof two witnesses.

normally and mechanically impelled toward RUDOLPH JAEGERMANN the coil, awiper in connection with the armature for closing the circuit by contactWVitnesses:

with the contact member during the initial EMIL STAREK, 0 movement ofthe armature toward the coil, Jos. A. MICHEL.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 959,864, granted May31, 1910,

upon the application of Rudolph Jaegermann, of St. Louis, Missouri, foran im rovenuent in Electric Clocks an error a ears in the rinted secification requiring correction as follows: Page 4:, line 29, the Wordcoal should read coil; and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of March, A. D., 1911.

E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] It is hereby certified that in Letters'Patent No. 959,86 grantedMay 31, 1910,

upon the application of Rudolph Jaegermann, of St. Louis, Missouri, foran improvement in Electric Clocks, an error appears in the printedspecification requiring correction as follows: Page 4:, line 29, theword coal should read coil; and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of March, A. D., 1911.

E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner 0 f Patents.

[SEAL.]

